Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, a large number of Ukrainians have been traveling to Turkey in their own cars. Learn more about the most important rules for staying in Turkey with your own car

Issuing a policy Green card for traveling abroad by car

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Quite often, expats and tourists who are traveling for a long time want to bring their own car into the country. According to Turkish law, citizens of other countries can cross the country's territory in their own cars with foreign registration. However, it is important to follow the basic import rules that we have summarized in this article.

To cross the border of Turkey in a vehicle with foreign registration, you must have:

1. A driver's license;

2. Technical passport;

3. An international insurance policy valid in Turkey.

Earlier we also talked about the limits of liability and insurance coverage under the Green Card.

If you are not the owner of the car, make sure you have a power of attorney to drive the vehicle, certified by a notary or at the Turkish consulate or embassy.

Where can I buy a Green Card online?

You can buy insurance for traveling abroad by car with Ukrainian registration online on the Visit Ukraine portal. By purchasing an electronic policy, you not only save your own time on trips to the offices of insurance agents, but you can be sure that your insurance will always be at hand. And even if you lose the printed form, you can always restore it, having your insurance in PDF format on your email. Unfortunately, you won't be able to restore an insurance policy issued offline as quickly. 

To take out insurance for the required period, follow this link.

Do you have additional questions? Contact the Visit Ukraine hotline (Telegram | WhatsApp).

Conditions for importing cars with foreign license plates to Turkey in 2024

The most important thing to do when importing a vehicle with foreign registration is to stay outside Turkey for at least 185 days during the year. This period may be intermittent, and all days of absence are counted in total.

The vehicle must be registered in the country of the driver's permanent residence. That is, if you are a citizen of Ukraine, the car must have Ukrainian license plates.

Learn more about planning a trip abroad by car, the necessary documents, and other important nuances in our previous article.

If you are a tourist in the territory of the Republic of Turkey and have not obtained a residence permit, you can use a car with foreign license plates during the visa-free regime. For Ukrainians, it is 90 days. However, with the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Turkish authorities extended the permission to use cars with Ukrainian license plates for an additional 3 months. To extend it, you need to contact the customs service (Gümrük İdaresi) of the province in which you are staying and declare the car there.

For persons who have obtained a residence permit of the Republic of Turkey, the maximum period of stay of the car is 2 years. You need to contact the customs office at your place of residence and extend the period. To do this, you need to provide documents for the car, driver's license and ikamet (residence permit).

You can learn more about the tourist and humanitarian residence permit in Turkey here.

It is important to keep in mind that after leaving Turkey by car, all previous permits are automatically canceled, and you can apply for them again only after 185 days outside Turkey within a year from the date of entry. You can only leave the country without a car.

In addition, no one else is allowed to use the vehicle in your absence. You must leave the car under the supervision of the customs service. At least one day before departure, you must inform the customs service of the address of the parking lot for the period of your absence. Ignoring this rule may result in serious fines.

We remind you! The vast majority of Ukrainians staying in Turkey do not have refugee status and obtain a residence permit (ikamet) in the standard way for foreigners. Learn more about the cost, experience and difficulties of obtaining an ikamet in 2024.